Page 129 of Thorns of Blood

“You keep forgetting I’m not your blood,” I reminded him.

“No matter, you’re still family.”

Kian cut in, appearing suddenly.

“Sorry I’m late.” His gaze darted to the circus of bare feet. “Or maybe not. Why is everyone barefoot?”

I shrugged. “It’s my wife’s bucket list.”

“To walk around barefoot?” Kian wondered, his brow furrowing.

“Yes, across the field of daffodils.” I turned my head his way. “Got a problem with that?”

He raised his hands as if to surrender.

“Not at all, I think it’s cute,” he remarked wryly. “I see my niece, Lara, is enjoying it too.”

I smiled.

Lara, Kingston and Lou’s adopted daughter, had became a key part of our unusual family.

“You know she has a bucket list of her own,” I said.

Kian shot me a surprised look. “Isn’t she a bit too young for a bucket list?”

I rolled my eyes, but thankfully Mateo saved me the response. “You’re never too young or too old for a bucket list.”

“You should give it a try,” I retorted dryly.

Kian was a damned workaholic. A fucking machine that refused to stop churning. When he wasn’t running the Syndicate and being everyone’s slight pain in the ass, he ran both a security company and the Cortes Cartel. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where he got the stamina.

“Giovanni,” Jet shouted, running over to me. I pulled my hands out of my pockets and opened them as he threw himself into my arms.

“Hey, buddy. You look like you’re having fun.”

“I’m just playing along, making the girls happy,” he said, rolling his eyes, but the smile on his face said the opposite. He was enjoying it as much as the girls.

“Maybe I should play along too,” I offered.

His whole face lit up. “Yes. It will make Mom happy.”

I smiled. “Then let’s go make your mom happy.”

“Yes,” he beamed, then grabbed my hand in his, pulling me away from the door and toward the field.

As if she could sense me, Lia lifted her head and trapped me in her beautiful gaze. Her long blonde hair fell down her back, her curls bouncing as she danced freely. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I didn’t think I could fall deeper in love with her, but I was so fucking wrong, because with each passing day, I fell deeper and deeper under her spell.

She met me halfway across the field, pressed a kiss to Jet’s head, then brought her hand to my chest, lifting onto her tiptoes.

“Thank you so much,” she murmured against my lips.

“In full disclosure, Jet helped me plant the bulbs last fall,” I admitted.

“Awww, thank you, Jet,” she murmured, pressing another kiss to his cheek. “I love it so much, and I love you even more.”

Jet, being a typical boy, wiggled, but didn’t pull away. “You’re welcome, Mama.”

Then he grinned and took off to play with his cousins, leaving me alone with my wife. I took advantage, pulling her flush to me, her breasts pressing against mine.